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Monday, 23 December 2013

Recently, I was aware that, in England, there is a model agency for ugly people. Or, as others say: for people who doesn't fit in the actual beauty standards. Say that again?

Ok, there are beauty standards. Ok, there are people who doesn't make part of it. Ok, those people should have the same opportunities. But are they ugly?

Because what they are saying is that beautiful people need to be: white, tall, thin. At least. If you don't suit this description, sorry you're ugly. And that makes almost all of us.

Aesthetics is a very biased subject, it depends on culture, environment and...taste. The globalisation phenomenon had an important role on our sense of beauty. And instead of bringing us together, it is torning us apart. Now, instead of a myriad of beauty archetypes we have only one, no matter the place you live, or your traditions. Or even your values. Well, unless you live somewhere without any kind of media. But if you were, you wouldn't be reading this.

Being different is unpleasant, it is uncomfortable and it's...ugly. Don't you dare hurt other people's eyes with your unique look (or personality for that matter)!

Beauty is made by comparison, you versus me. By genetics: I'm part of this group and you deserve to make part of it as well. If you are made of gold, you'll belong to the stars. Any other metal and you'll see the dark side of the world.

Tuesday, 19 November 2013

At this time you already know how I feel about labels. And for me, feminism is a label like any other. Yes, feminism, that F-word that makes people either scared, roll her eyes, fight or just run away from it.

Nowadays there's no point being one. Well, at least, on developed countries. No, developed isn't the right expression. In a world where women are educated enough to know their value, feminism has no place. Because we see ourselves as equal to men. But wait, do men see women as equal? And do we really behave like equals? Don't we still give different toys to boy and girls? Don't we have different responsabilities at our homes, jobs and social lives?

Now, I'm not so sure where I stand. Yes, we need to embrace our differences, because therearedifferences. But yes, we also need to find our place here. We still live in a men's world. Being a woman doesn't mean to be weak or soft or caring. Being a man doesn't mean to be strong, careless, or cold-hearted. Every human needs affection.

I also see many VIP people saying they aren't feminists, but humanists. It's like they're afraid of the word, or the negativity implied (which one, I ignore). However, that's changing one label to another, where the price is the same. It only changes the colour.

The thing is, and I repeat: I don't like labels, I believe that it promotes some kind of war of genders but I know we must do something about how women are portrayed, viewed (and how they see themselves), behaved and how society reacts to them. Again, is not the word used, is not how it was branded, and it's not our actions in behalf of it. It is our own close-minded views, what we consider normal and our unconscious life.

Wednesday, 6 November 2013

Looking at the universe and I see everything and anything at all. I see all the lives, all those deaths. All those inevitable deaths. The hundred ones that are happening right now. The million ones that already did. And the infinite ones that are still yet to come.

And I'm watching all these babies that are born and the ones that are still only a dream. And I see all these dreams, this willing of making it happen. This sense that life needs to have a meaning and people always searching for it.

And I see it as music, a never-ending song talking about tragedies and fairy-tales, and crimes, and brokenness and solitude, and companionship and love, and hope, and happiness and everything in between.

And I am so sure: it will be written on the stars. All these beautiful, somewhat bitter-sweet stories. These stories I'd like to learn and live and feel and pass on along.

Taking part of this uniqueness...do you imagine how lucky you are? The universe gave you the lottery ticket for you to spend it just the way it pleases you. You're among the elite. Everyone is like you. You're like everyone else. And yet, we're snowflakes.

The universe, we'll never leave it. I wonder where I'll be. In a flower. In someone's heart? Pure sunlight. The breath of the wind. The shadow of the moon. In a smile...

My wonderlife will be about enjoying all these little moments. Good. Bad. Not so good and not so bad. And make of them the best they'll possibly be.

My song has to end someday, I want it to be beautiful, to make people cry and laugh at the same time, to inspire them and bring something good to their hearts. Something they can pass along as well.

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

This one is about chances. But also certainties. This one is for tears of joy - that kind of happiness you can feel; but hard to share with anyone else. Even with your other side of the moon.

This one is about epiphanies. Eurekas. Peripeteia? Rareness and moments. Knowing it because you're feeling it. Definitely about strikes. But not pain. Certainly not death (being it our darkest certainty, it should be about death). It's about contradictions. Seeing your dreams a feet away, running towards them and still be fearful about how will you cross the line. You aren't sure how to give the next step. Damn, you don't even know where your foot is! But you know that step will be taken.

You also know everything will be just fine (that scares you). You used to believe it, trying to convince yourself. But now you KNOW. And no one, I mean no one (including yourself), can take that from you.

Today is about mixed feelings. And trying to take some logic out of it. Seems stupid. Feels stupid. (I'm an emotional being, no space for reason...) Today is about letting go and embrace whatever appears. Not so much of courage, but neither fear. Today is about intertwining body, mind and heart into my life. Believing and knowing and feeling like all of them were the same thing. Because they are, right now.

Today is about loving, like you had never loved before.Reality in one pixel only. That kind of love. About repetitions. Words. Repeated words. Loop images. Looping thoughts. Written words. Re-read words. Ideas going around and around the same boxy brain. Meeting the same neurons over and over without being totally uncreative.

Today is about living and knowing your life is perfect, that I'm perfect (in this seductive, imperfect, make-it-better way).

Monday, 21 January 2013

I feel lucky today. I see an opportunity in every corner. I have a new idea at every step of the way. I'll try every and each one of it and if I fail, I'll learn something, I'll change something, I'll achieve something.

Today I wanted to talk to you about Goedzak, but I'll have to pass it on to another post. I'm only craving to enjoy this feeling and transfer it to you. Sense this joy. Sight, smell, hear, taste, touch, embrace it. Make it your breathing.

Try something new today. Make a new mistake today. Learn a bit more of yourself today. (And tell me the results later.)

Wednesday, 16 January 2013

When we think about garbage, we think about plastic waste. We produce, as a world nation, about one hundred million tons of it every year! And a big part of it comes from water bottles.

Jesse Leeworthy, a product designer, created a sustainable device, Ishke, that replaces plastic bottles with stainless ones. They also have RFID tags that permits cashless payments and to control the bottle specifications as well the user's preferences. For those who doesn't know what RFID means, here's a tip: Radio Frequency IDentification.

Tuesday, 15 January 2013

I made no resolutions for this year but I want to start new projects and finish old ones. Today, at beautiful mess, I found the 365 Project.

It seems boring to do the same thing everyday for a year, but it's also challenging and gives you the opportunity to develop a skill. I was thinking how could I participate in this and yoga is my answer. It's something I love to do but rarely have the chance to practice. With this project I hope to learn new poses, be more flexible and strong. This will be my healthy year.

Monday, 14 January 2013

Long break, huh? I'm writing you for the first time of this year because... it just didn't happen sooner.

But tonight I had a really weird experience. Having a dream in the third person. I was just a voyeur. I didn't know any of the characters of my dream. It was like a film. A good one, because it taught me a lesson.

And I'm sharing this with you because yesterday I received a one of a kind feedback. Some months ago I started a new project: Rules of Being Creative. It's not finished yet, but you can take a look at it here.

Rules of Being Creative is a study of my own methods in delivering a message. When I'm finished, I think it will be worthy a semantic study as well (maybe I'll write a book about it, one more to the pile).

Rule #1 is to break your own rules. But someone asked me: Why make rules if you're going to break them? It seems a suitable question, right? But then, why live if you're going to die?

Maybe rules aren't the right word. Or maybe we should change our way of thinking. Creativity has no rules, and yet could have an infinity of steps to follow.

What is creativity? I'll not search for a Wikipedia definition or look into a dictionary. Would they really answer me? I prefer to look inside. Creativity is the association of ideas. Mere thought. And where do ideas come from? It can be from movies, books, experiences. But maybe, just maybe, the most powerful are the ones we decompose, the ones we break and reconstruct. Lego is a perfect metaphor in what regards to the brain. It not only picks fragmented pieces (redundant or maybe not) of reality but it also combines them to create new worlds.

We evolve. We're not the same as we were yesterday and certainly our life tomorrow will be a bit different than it is today. And rules will follow. Or else slavery and death penalty would still exist, homosexuals will never marry and women will never be considered entirely equal to men.

We need to change the question. Why follow rules if we don't challenge them?